Clinton sounds call to stop church burnings

WASHINGTON (CNN) President Clinton called the 18-month wave of
attacks against black churches "depraved" in his weekly radio
address Saturday.

"We do not now have evidence of a national conspiracy," he said, "but
it is clear that racial hostility is the driving force behind a number
of these incidents."

"We must rise up as a national community and safeguard the right of
every citizen to worship in safety," Clinton said. He outlined four
steps being taken by the federal government:

A national task force already investigating the church burnings
will report to him with recommendations.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms will send agents
to black churches to inform them of steps they can take to protect
themselves.

The president will seek to strengthen bipartisan legislation in
Congress that would make it easier to bring federal prosecutions
against people who attack churches.

A toll-free telephone number has been set up for people with any
leads or information on such fires. That number is 1-888-ATF-FIRE.

Attending the president's radio address where two black ministers
whose churches have been attacked. The Rev. Terrence Mackey,
pastor of Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in
Greeleyville, South Carolina, praised the actions by the federal
government and said his parishioners would not take any direct
action that would imperil their lives.

"No lives are lost here yet," Mackey said. "I'd rather count another
burnt church than to count a dead body."

Sen. Bob Dole, Clinton's apparent opponent in November's presidential
election, has also spoken out against the attacks on black churches.
In a statement released Friday, he called the attacks "hate crimes"
and said they were "evil."

"I urge the Justice Department and all state and local law
enforcement authorities to use every available resource to find and
punish the cowards responsible for these vicious acts of hate,"
Dole's statement said.

More than 200 FBI and ATF agents are going through the ruins of
some 30 churches for clues. Five arrests have occurred in
connection with seven fires.

U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick, R-North Carolina, said Clinton's actions were
"encouraging." Myrick is a former mayor of Charlotte, where a
historic sanctuary of the Matthews-Murkland Presbyterian Church
burned two days ago.

But Myrick said it was "too soon to tell" if the Charlotte fire was
racially motivated.

"Whoever did it, it's deplorable, and we aren't going to tolerate it in
Charlotte or anyplace else," she said.

Myrick said the Charlotte community would work together to rebuild
the church.